Tandoori Chicken Biryani
Charred tandoori chicken layered with fragrant basmati, fried onions and mint, then steamed until everything perfumes the pot.
Made with Tandoori marinade and Ginger and garlic paste. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time1 hr 30
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £2.05 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Mix the chicken with your ready made tandoori marinade (see the base recipe) and chill for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- 2
Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then soak for 20 minutes. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large pan and fry the onions over a medium heat for 15 to 18 minutes, stirring, until deep golden and crisp. Lift out half and set aside for the top.
16 min 40 s - 3
To the pan add the remaining oil, whole spices and your ready made ginger garlic paste (see the base recipe) and fry for 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes, turning, until browned and cooked through.
10 min - 4
Bring a large pan of water to the boil with the salt. Drain the rice and boil for 5 minutes until just under cooked, then drain well.
5 min - 5
Spread half the rice over the chicken, scatter with half the herbs, then add the remaining rice. Drizzle the saffron milk over, and top with the set aside onions and remaining herbs.
- 6
Cover tightly with foil and a lid and cook on the lowest heat for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and rest for 10 minutes without lifting the lid.
20 min - 7
Fluff gently with a fork, checking the chicken is piping hot and cooked through, and serve with raita.
Tips
- Par cook the rice until it still has a firm bite. It finishes cooking in the steam.
- A tight seal matters. Use foil under the lid so the steam stays in the pot.
- Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking so it browns rather than steams.
Storing and freezing
Cool rice quickly, within 1 hour, spread on a tray, then chill. Keeps for 1 day in the fridge. Reheat once only, until steaming hot all the way through, and do not reheat rice a second time.
Questions
Can I make it with leftover tandoori chicken?
Yes. Use 400 g of cooked chicken, skip the browning step and layer it straight into the rice, which only needs a gentle 15 minutes of steaming.
Is it very spicy?
No. Kashmiri chilli gives warmth rather than fierce heat. Add a sliced green chilli to the layers if you want more.
Is biryani gluten free?
Yes, as long as your garam masala and any other spices are labelled gluten free. Rice and chicken are naturally gluten free.
More made with tandoori marinade
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.